Dauntless
by Tsume Yuki
Summary: Hariel Potter and Bucky Barnes have been travelling together for nearly a year now, and between dodging the remains of HYDRA, attempting to find lost memories and trying to figure out just what they are to each other, there's never a dull moment. Especially when they end up playing hero along the way. FemHarryxBucky, Sequel to Valiant (Some smut)
1. Chapter 1

**Dauntless**

 _.  
Washington, America  
April 1st 2014_

Almost huddled around the coffee cup that was steadily cooling between her fingers, Harry pressed herself a little closer, a little more into the chair as the rain bounced off of the blacktop.

They'd taken cover from the weather under the awning of a cake shop, bought another coffee each along with a slice of dessert. Harry, for the first time since she'd landed in this world, was tucking into a delicious -though very expensive- slice of treacle tart, while Bucky's strawberry cheesecake sat untouched upon the tabletop.

Crossing her legs, Harry put the cup down, scooping a piece of tart onto her fork and almost inhaling it with the speed she took it into her mouth. Rolling the plastic fork about along her teeth, she considered the amount of money they actually had left, and found the number depressingly small. She'd not had to worry about this before, because there'd always been a vault full of gold -a multitude of them really- waiting for her back at Diagon.

But she'd just decided that she wasn't really going to keep trying to go back. Say what you wanted about Captain America, but never say he wasn't a pleasant guy. Helpful. Very helpful indeed.

Smiling slightly, Harry dipped her head forwards, well aware her eyes were flickering up to gaze at Bucky from beneath her eyelashes.

In a worn looking hoodie that Bill had left in her trunk -and would clearly not be getting back-, one she'd had to magically resize until it fit his fit physique, he looked the perfect part of a Washington tourist.

Attractive. So very attractive.

Harry was well aware that three female and one male had already passed by and their eyes had lingered on Bucky's still form. Watched the way he had a tendency to suck in his bottom lip, toy about with it. The way his tongue would dart out to wet the chapped flesh. He had some kind of oral fixation, that much was clear.

Harry certainly appreciated it.

But he only did that when he wasn't paying one hundred percent attention to what he was suppose to be focusing on.

Stretching, Harry managed to snag a bit of the cheesecake with her own fork, quickly stuffing it into her mouth as Bucky's eyes snapped around to stare at her in shock.

"You clearly weren't interested in finishing it," Harry mused after she'd finished swallowing the delicious dessert. Not as good as treacle tart, but close. Pretty damn close.

Harry squawked as the table suddenly shot up at her end, watching in dismay as her plate and coffee slid towards Bucky, who caught both effortlessly whilst balancing his own drink and cake on his thigh.

"I'll have you know we all didn't have fancy schools with fancy feasts growing up, some of us had to fight for our food." The little quirk at the edge of Bucky's lips had Harry returning the grin, scrambling across the table to retrieve her food. But not before Bucky had managed to get a mouthful of her own dessert.

Harry dropped back into her seat as Bucky set the table right, rolling her eyes but not quite able to suppress the smile on her face.

"How are we doing for money?"

He worried, over every cent. Something that had come to him from his days working back in the 1930/40s. Money was tight then, he'd been looking after Steve; he'd had to watch every cent that passed through his hands. And Harry, who'd not had to worry about money at any stage in her life was pleased to see at least one of them was fully conscious of their financial state.

"Low. But I was thinking, since… Since I decided to not go back, we could sell some of the galleons. They're solid gold, so should fetch a good price. It's not like we'll ever be able to buy a house or anything without documents or identification, so we don't have to worry about taxes and bills and stuff. Only food and clothes." Living in a tent wasn't so bad when it was a wizarding tent after all.

Running a hand down the side of her face, Harry put her elbow on the table and dropped her face into her hand.

Bucky watched her with blue eyes looking softer than normal; today was a very good day for him indeed. They were probably due a bad day, either her with a nightmare from the war or him having another breakdown over those returning memories from his time as the Winter Soldier.

Hell they could both end up with a bad day at the same time. Hopefully not though, because they struggled enough when it was just one of them as it was.

"I think we should hit up New York. I got a good photo of a place to apperate too. I'll busk while you go off and pull that scary face so they give you the right amount of money at a gold exchange shop."

A very quiet, husky laugh left Bucky's lips and he tried to cover it with the sleeve of his hoodie. But Harry heard it anyway.

Grinning just a little more, she finished off her tart, looking up in surprise when Bucky easily put away his cheesecake in the time it's taken her to finish off her last bite.

"I didn't want to have to wait for you to finish." He shrugged.

Scowling, Harry got to her feet and pulled her travelling companion after her. She had no desire to go out into the rain, and really, with her the only witch in the world, her skill set was eventually going to become public knowledge.

They apperated where they stood.

.

Bucky had gone off to sell the gold and in the bright sunshine of New York City, Harry had found an ideal place to host her show.

It'd been a good day overall, she'd made a decent amount of money, Bucky had probably gotten more than what the galleons were actually worth because even though he wasn't a Russian Assassin anymore, he still had the murderous stare down to a pat. They'd treated themselves to the biggest pizza they could find -one side covered in ham and pineapple, the other hosting peppers, nachos, spicy chicken and BBQ sauce, smothered in five different types of cheese because hey, Bucky was an adventurous sort of guy- and set up the tent in Central Park.

Stretched across a floor that was charmed much softer than what was probably appropriate, Harry took a hold of the pizza crust, slowly pulling a slice away from her half of the pizza, but not before nabbing a nacho off Bucky's side. Of course, the male replied by stealing away an entire slice from her side. Not that Harry cared too much; she'd never have managed an entire half of this giant pizza anyway.

"So, that thing you said earlier, you were being serious?" Harry really, really hoped she didn't have to expand on what she was talking about, because that'd seem desperate.

Instead, she watched as Bucky's arctic eyes flickered up to look at her, still wrestling with his copious amounts of cheese in an attempt to separate his mouthful from the remains of his slice. The strings of dairy product clung on insistently.

Quite unable to help herself, Harry summoned up the wizarding camera, snapping a quick picture before Bucky could managed to salvage his pride.

Losing a fight with pizza. Shameful.

It'd make a cute picture though, watching him struggle.

Anyway, it wasn't like he didn't have any embarrassing photos of her either. She should have never shown him how to use a camera, but it'd seemed like a good idea at the time, a way for him to be reassured that even if he forgot these memories -he hadn't so far, and hopefully never would- they'd at least be waiting for him this time. She knew for certain there was a photo of her half submerged in a shallow lake, where she'd lost her footing walking down a pier.

"What, the bit about you being a nice girl?" Bucky quirked an eyebrow up and a hot flush raced across Harry's cheeks.

Bucky wasn't like the guys at Hogwarts had been, like the string of failed dates afterwards had been. He held no disillusions regarding her greatness, he knew she had nightmares and that she hated certain shades of different colours. He accepted the faults, exposed his own before her. It was a very amiable, easy relationship they'd developed so far.

That wasn't to say they weren't problems, there would probably always be problems. But they pulled one another back together when the seams started to split. And right now, that was what they both needed.

Bucky wasn't like the other males she'd looked at in a romantic manner -or who'd look to her in that manner- because he was just as broken she was, just as faulty and lost.

Yet, he was also stubborn, slowly becoming determined to make something more of himself. He could be cocky and friendly and flirty when the mood struck him. Something that was becoming more often as the days kept on passing by. There was less brooding and staring into the distance, and more thoughtful, sneaky glances.

"Well maybe I like dame who can stand up for herself. More of a challenge that way."

Snorting, Harry inhaled another bite of pizza, chewing slowly.

"What happens if I like guys that just roll over and show their belly though?"

"Seriously doll, I'll change your mind if that's the case. Not that I wouldn't mind being at your mercy." He winked and Harry laughed herself silly. It wasn't so much that it was a truly spectacular joke, but it was the most flirty, jokey thing he'd ever said to her so far. And considering the state he'd been in when they first met, well, it just showed the improvement, slow going as it was.

All in all, it was a good night.

It wasn't much of a surprise that the nightmares struck only a few hours later.

.

Over the months, Harry had become attuned to Bucky's panicked gasps as he'd shoot up in bed. So what if his room was down the tent's hallway, maybe she'd used a spell to inform her in anyone in the vicinity was having a small panic attack.

Rolling out of bed, Harry tugged the holey shirt -one Bucky had been using to exercise in until a month ago, when he went out and got a better one, offering her the old one if she had any use for it- over her head and now, wearing a top and a pair of soft grey panties, she strode out of her room and towards Bucky's.

She didn't need to announce her arrival any more, just slid right into the room, sat herself down on the bed, and gently manoeuvred Bucky's head until it was resting against her collarbone, nose pressed into the warm junction of her neck and broad shoulders shaking in her arms.

The familiar scent of Bucky, something warm, human and male, mixing with the smell of soap and the lingering scent of zingy aftershave, washed over Harry's senses and she buried her face in his messy hair. Bucky's fingers, both flesh and metal, were curled up in the holey shirt, which was no doubt tearing just that little bit more. She didn't mind.

After nightmares, her wild magic had once stripped Bucky of all his hair before; it'd taken her three days to figure out how to undo that little piece of spell work. Bucky didn't do bald/stubbleless/eyebrowless well. She'd missed the little bit of chest hair that usually snuck out whenever he was wearing a low collared shirt.

Point being though, they'd both made things a little harder for the other when they had a bad day. They put up with it.

Because Harry needed Bucky and Bucky needed Harry, it was as simple as that.

"What was it this time?"

"Falling. The train again. I hate that one."

Humming at the low vibrations Bucky's chest gave as he spoke, Harry shifted about slightly on the bed, freezing up when Bucky took a hold of her waist and adjusted their positions until they were both lying on the bed, side by side.

"Stay?"

Vibrant green met ice blue and Harry bit her lip, nodding and pulling the covers back over them.

The metal arm was warm where Bucky had been laying on it, though he had been thoughtful enough to have his human arm being the one under her body, curled around her waist and still tangled in the holey shirt. The metal one rested on her hip, heavier than a human arm but lighter than she'd expected. Warmer too.

Bucky's bare chest was sensationally hot against her shoulders, hairy legs tangled around her smooth shins. However-

"Your feet are cold."

"Damn right they are doll. Warm me up."

.

 _New York, America  
April 2nd 2014_

There was a hand sized tear in the shirt, exposing almost all of her lower back.

Scowling into the mirror, Harry began rifling through Bucky's draws, looking for another one she could snaffle away. Oversized male shirts were so much easier to walk about the tent in than any of her fitted clothes or flowing dresses. Flipping red hair back over her shoulder, Harry turned on heel, walking out of Bucky's bedroom and heading towards the kitchen. Thankfully, she'd been thoughtful enough to stock up on groceries a few days ago, and there should still be enough left for a cooked breakfast.

It was to the scent of bacon, sausages and fried eggs that Bucky emerged from his room, dressed only in a pair of loose fitting sweatpants riding low on his hips, scratching lazily at his stubble. She didn't miss the distance in his eyes as he sat up to the kitchen table though.

Having not quite worked out the insane ratio of cream, to sugar to coffee that the ex-soldier preferred no matter how many attempts she made at it, Harry just dropped the cup of coffee and condiments before her companion, returning to the stove as he gave a grunt of thanks.

Neither of them were really morning people, Bucky having mostly worked during the dark of night and Harry keeping odd hours throughout her research sessions and travelling days. And yet, here they both were, wide awake, because attempting to sleep any longer was a goal beyond them.

"One egg or two?" Harry asked, plating her own up and looking at the male over her shoulder.

"Three."

Snorting at the oh so Bucky-like answer, Harry flicked the three eggs onto Bucky's plate, followed by the rest of the cooked food that, together, would probably qualify as two full English breakfasts. Her own was rather simple, just eggs and bacon, but Bucky; well, there was a reason most of their money went towards feeding him. Whatever the hell offered him that super endurance, super strength, and made him the pinnacle of human fitness, also ensured he'd win any eating contest, ever.

Hell, she could only picture what it'd be like if he decided to eat fast; Ron wouldn't have stood a chance.

Grimacing slightly at the thought of her old friend, Harry sat herself down up to the kitchen table, plopping Bucky's breakfast down in front of him. It was remarkable how bearlike he looked; lifting his head up and blinking those tired, bleary eyes, nose scrunched up and lips parting in a long yawn to reveal a set of sharp white teeth.

"Come on Bucky-bear, time for breakfast."

A low growl was her only response and Harry grinned, digging into her own food. Yeah, neither of them were really awake much for breakfast, and maybe that was a good thing. Neither of them had to pay attention to their surroundings, because they felt safe where they were. It was okay for them to not be on their best first thing in a morning. It felt a bit like what Harry would have once guessed normality to be. A point where she could be 'Just Harry'.

And wasn't that a relief?

.

"So, wanna show me around your old haunts?"

Carefully placing the dried plate down, Bucky twisted the dishcloth through the air with the same ease he handled his knives with.

"You want to see all my old kissing places?" He asked with dubious disbelief, teasing a snort out amusement from Harry's throat.

"If any of them still exist old-man. Seriously though, I'd like to go for a wander today, but you don't have to come with me. You can stay here, go buy a new jacket, scare some old ladies, whatever."

Bucky snickered, twirling the dishcloth once against before firing it at her.

"Why would I do that when I've got the offer to walk a pretty girl around town?" Smirking, he sauntered off, probably to go and get changed into clothes acceptable for going out in.

It was as Harry had gotten to her own feet that his call of, "what do you mean buy a new jacket?! What's wrong with what I've got?!" reached her and Harry chortled beneath her breath.

He was trying so hard to be the Bucky from before. And while it was cute, she was quite content waiting for him to realise that she didn't want the Bucky from before. She was quite satisfied with the Bucky of now.

Scratching lazily at her stomach through one of the soft cotton of Bucky's shirt, Harry gave a flick of her wand, leaving her magic to pack the cutlery and crockery away as she too went off to get changed.

.

Arm coiled around Bucky's -because out of the two of them, he was the one that didn't get swept away by the New York crowds- Harry Potter took in the tall buildings with a sceptical face and no little amount of awe.

"So tall," she whispered under her breath. Because they were, it would be possible to fit five Weasley homes on top of one another in them and still have enough room for more in those huge rectangles the muggles here called skyscrapers. She'd known, of course, that such buildings exist. But seeing it on paper, and seeing it right before your eyes, were two very different things.

Humming to herself, Harry scowled when another overly busy man smashed into her shoulder pushing her back. No doubt her tiny five foot two frame would have been lost in the rush of the crowd if she didn't have Bucky to anchor her in place. The near chilling snarl that escaped his lips sent a shiver down Harry's spine and she pressed closer into his side, accepting the arm he wrapped around her hips, leaving the left -and most dangerous one- free. In case anyone else tried to bump into them again.

While nobody would notice the glaring metal -with a bit of experimentation that morning, she'd learn that aiming the notice-me-not at the actual metal instead of Bucky got the magic to stick- Harry felt quite a bit safer with it now she was able to see it's brilliant shine.

Sure, she might have been a fighter, might have been a hero, but it felt good to be looked after. To know that Bucky was capable of physically protecting her, as her… Well, she wasn't sure exactly what they were; friends? Dating? It didn't matter really. Harry had Bucky and Bucky had Harry.

And for now, that was enough.

"So, where are we going?"

Bucky's eyes, which had been darting around them, assessing every person that he could catch a glimpse of, danced back around to look at her face and his lips twitched slightly.

"I was gonna show you where I used to live, if it's still here. Just have to get out of this crowd."

Pursing her lips, Harry scanned the mass of people, feeling her brow crinkle in confusion.

"Is the crowd getting thicker?" In fact, could she hear sirens?

Bucky groaned at the same time Harry figured out what was going on; some kind of robbery, hostage situation or something. Of course; they had to be near some sort of bank.

Reaching to wrap her fingers around Bucky's, Harry began tugging him forwards, muscling people out of the way as best she could.

"Come on, let's go help."

* * *

Jayden Williams huddled a little closer to his mother. He was scared, but he also had faith. Because Ironman lived in New York, and Ironman was a hero. A superhero who fought off bad guys and aliens. He'd come and save them.

It didn't stop him from pressing his face into his mother's pea green dress, biting his lip to stop the whimper that threatened to escape him as one of the big bad guys passed him by.

They'd only come into the bank for his Ma to draw some money out, so he could go and get a nice new bike. He'd outgrown his last one, and with his Ma's pay rise, she'd finally had enough money left over to go and buy him a new one. Jayden had been understandably excited, crying and calling out that they should go right away.

He wished he'd waited a day now. Because while there was a chance to meet Ironman here, his Ma was crying and she looked very upset and scared. He didn't like it when his Ma was upset and scared. She should always be happy, like when she was baking in their little apartment. She loved baking.

"You're gonna hand over the money-" a thick, big hand closed around Jayden's wrist, pulling him away from his Ma who cried at the sudden movement, "-or I'm gonna put a bullet through his head!"

Eyes wide, Jayden stared at the pasty white fingers -strong, big fingers- that were wrapped around his dark wrist, and a little whimpering cry escaped him lip.

He didn't want to die, didn't want to never get his new bike or see his Ma smile again. He didn't want to die!

There was a gunshot, and then the hand holding went slack, the man falling to the marble floor with blood pooling out from around his head.

For a moment, everyone stared, no more so than Jayden. He could see the hole, the brain bits splattered across the floor, but he couldn't quite accept what had just happened. The man had been alive one moment, and then the next, he was on the floor with a hole in his head.

What?

A thump had him looking up, and at the glint of metal and glimmer of red, Jayden's heart leapt into his throat. Ironman had come!

Only, it wasn't Ironman, wasn't a superhero in a metal suit.

It was two people, and while one was male and a part of him seemed to be made of metal, it wasn't a full body suit like Ironman. It was more like the metal was his entire arm; it seemed too tight to be any form of armour. And the girl; she had really dark red hair, her eyes were really bright, brighter than any felt tip pens that Jayden had ever seen. She said something in a funny language, and then there was a golden shield around everybody bullets bouncing off its surface.

Jayden stared in wonder, his Ma gathering him up in her arms as the two newcomers went about dispatching the bad guys. The girl was always stopping the bullets, protecting herself and her friend, who used guns and knives and at one point just punched a guy in the face with his cool metal arm. It was over in seconds, the bad guys all tied up by the girl -who made rope appear out of nowhere- and the only one that was dead was the one that had pulled him away from his Ma. All the others had been shot in the leg, had their guns knocked from their hands with knives.

These guys were so cool! But he didn't have the slightest idea who they were.

The two turned to look at them and Jayden registered that they weren't even in super-suits, instead just jeans and normal tee-shirts. The guy actually looked quite scary, but the girl was very pretty.

"Everyone okay? No one injured?"

There was a groan from one of the bad guys, and the man with the metal arm scowled and kicked him.

"You don't count."

.

The pretty lady introduced herself as Harry, and went around making sure each of them were okay, offering chocolate to anyone who would take it and giving general reassurances that everything was fine.

Her partner, Bucky, had collected all the guns the bad guys had dropped, pocketing two and crushing the rest with his metal arm. It was kinda cool. And now he was tearing down the barricade that the bad guys had made at the front door.

"Are you superheroes?" Jayden asked when Harry got to him and his Ma, watching as her bright red eyebrows went up her forehead at his question. As the only child here, not counting the teenager with his phone pointed at them, Jayden felt it was up to him to get the confirmation he needed.

Shaking her head slightly, Harry crouched down to his level, holding out a bar of chocolate she'd pulled out of the funny, tiny trunk she had on a necklace, a smile on her lips.

"Not really. But I knew we could help you here, so we came and helped. Bucky was actually just showing me around his hometown, so it was quite lucky we came here." She smiled again, ruffling his hair as she stood up, but Jayden snatched at her hand, staring with wide eyes.

"His name is Bucky? Like Captain America's friend? We're learning about it at school."

The woman paused, a funny look on her face and Jayden wondered if he'd said something wrong.

"The same one." A deep voice answered from behind him and the nine year old jumped, spinning around to look at the dark haired man that went by the name Bucky.

"The same one? But Miss Burnett said Bucky Barnes died falling off a train."

"I didn't." And then he was walking away, picking up two of the closes bad guys and throwing them into a pile with the others. The all let out a pained huff, and Jayden didn't feel sorry for them at all. In fact, he was quite pleased to see them hurt. They'd wanted to hurt him after all.

Turning back to Harry, Jayden pulled a little more at her hand, gathering her attention again from where she'd been talking to his Ma.

"But how can he be Bucky Barnes? And why does he have a metal arm? How's he here?"

"Would you believe me if I say he was frozen up?" The pretty lady was grinning again, pulling her hand out of his; instead she reached for the collar of her tee-shirt and pulled a necklace made of funny looking bottle-caps out from under her shirt.

And then, she dropped it around his neck. They clinked, resting on his torso the white standing out against his red shirt.

"He's got a metal arm because Captain America has a metal shield; only fair right? Look after that necklace for me, it's suppose to keep you safe." Harry smiled again and Jayden was one hundred percent sure she was a superhero. She had to be, she could make magical shields and tie people up with rope that came out of nowhere. Ironman might not have come, but Jayden had gotten to meet two new superheroes. And they were so cool.

One had even given him a gift and he was going to look after this necklace forever.

Even if it was made of funny looking bottle-caps.

"Sorry Jayden," she winked and Jayden stared because she knew his name and he hadn't even said it, "but we have to go."

Bucky -and now that he remembered his textbook he did look similar, only with longer hair- had appeared beside Harry, taking her hand. And then with loud crack that made everyone in the room jump, the two disappeared.

Teleporting! So cool!

* * *

Landing on the roof of a building nearby, Harry stared over the edge, intimately aware of Bucky's metal fingers wrapping themselves up in her shirt; to catch her if she leaned a bit too far over.

"Well, that went well," she murmured, watching as the hostages began pouring out of the bank, much to the bewilderment of the local police force. Bucky had only ended up shooting one person, and that had probably been for the best. He'd been going to kill that little kid…

Remembering the way Jayden's eyes had lit up when she'd given him that necklace, remembering the way his mother had looked so damn relieved, made Harry smile a bit more. She'd forgotten how good it felt, to help people out.

"Can you move away from the edge now?"

Scoffing, Harry complied, scooting backwards and then throwing her arms around Bucky's tall form. A lot of those bullets had come close to hitting him and had she been any slower to get her wand out-

"Thank you. For coming with me to stop that madness."

Warm metal rested on her shoulder blades, a fleshy palm pressing into the small of her back as Bucky hugged her back.

"Just, we make more of a plan next time. I don't like that we didn't have one."

Biting back a comment about how Gryffindors never had a tendency to plan, Harry pressed her face into Bucky's neck, having to stand on her tiptoes to accomplish such a task. Mmm, he smelt good. More of that delicious aftershave and the curious scent of gunpowder; an unknown back in the wizarding world. There were no magical healers here now, if either of them went down, it was only the two of them left to patch each other up or get them to hospital. So-

"Okay, we'll have a plan next time."

.

 _London, England  
May 8th 2014_

Bucky couldn't quite remember a panic like this. Then again, he couldn't quite remember ever having someone so close to him literally bleeding out in his arms either. HYDRA had found them, and before he could take them all but, one had managed to Harry with a stray bullet that she hasn't been able to shield.

And she'd gone down, bleeding out from a stomach wound and stomach wounds were never good news. He'd never ran as fast as he had these past few minutes, well aware Harry had already preformed enough magic to keep her conscious and alive until they reach the hospital around the corner, but still panicking anyway.

She was so light in his arms, and even though he knew that was a normal -a result of her being female, a bit shorter than average and malnourished as a child- that didn't help to comfort him at all.

Her grip on his neck was not as tight as it'd been when her first left the battlefield, and the soft reassuring words she'd been whispering in his ear had began to blur together, becoming mumbled, practically incoherent when he raced through the automatic doors of the emergency room. There, a startled doctor turned his gaze upon him, and then Harry when he realized she was the source of the blood.

"What happened?"

"She's been shot, stomach wound, she did something to stop the bleeding but I don't know how long it will hold."

"But the only place there's been gun fire was-"

"I run fast okay?!"

Carefully placing Harry down on the bed, Bucky turned his glare upon the doctor, taking great pleasure when he flinched back under his weighty stare. Harry's husky laugh drew his attention back to her pale face and Bucky quickly wrapped his flesh hand -because God knows she didn't care about the metal one at all but he needed that to defend them- around one of hers.

"Calm down Buckster, it'll take more than a stray bullet to kill me off." Her small, thin fingers tightened around his own and Bucky nodded. Harry was hard to kill, she'd said it herself. And Harry never lied to him.

"Okay."

And then she was rushed off into some emergency room or another, leaving Bucky stood, looking very lost, in the entrance way.

He'd know if something did happen to Harry, because if it did her magic would wear off and then everyone would be able to see his arm and guns and knives.

But so far no one was paying him the slightest bit of attention aside from some old woman tutting disapprovingly over the length of his hair. Gathering the brown strands up, Bucky pulled the elastic off his wrist and snapped it into a small bun resting high on the top of his head, though a few shorter pieces fell free around his face, it was nowhere near as much as before.

.

He felt the eyes before he saw them. It only took three seconds of since sensing the weighty stare, Bucky was well aware that someone was watching him, but he didn't immediately leap to his feet and go on the defensive. Because it wasn't a hateful stare, an angry one. The usual kind of looks he'd gotten from the remnants of HYDRA they'd run into over the past year.

He knew the difference, and this was more like the looks Harry used to give him back in the early days. When she'd watch him complete his physical exercise routine, and instead of saying it was too much or not enough, she'd always be stood off to a side with a bottle of water and a cloth for him to towel the sweat off with.

It wasn't a dangerous kind of stare, just, curious.

Gaze flickering up, Bucky scanned the room for the source, and stopped on the big, blond male stood on the opposite side of the room. He might have to readjust his thoughts, because the source was very much a physical threat. He was carrying around a large war hammer for god's sake.

But, he was also staring at Bucky with something close to wonder. No, wait, not actually at Bucky. More like, something around him.

That didn't mean his chest didn't tighten when the male came over, looking determined and hopeful and Bucky found himself palming a knife. No guns here, the hospital would panic and then Harry wouldn't get treated. And that was unacceptable.

"You are surrounded by magic." Okay, that wasn't the first thing he was expecting.

Narrowed eyes stared up at the blonde with deep sated suspicion as his mind whirled, attempting to source that accent. He'd never heard anything like it before, but he spoke English so fluently it had to be somewhere that could afford such tutoring in another language, or a place where English was the first language. But nothing was coming to mind, nothing at all.

"What of it." Bucky growled low in his throat, eyes darting over to the two that the blond had come into the hospital with. Both were female, both were slight with only the slightest hint of muscles, and one was crying from the pain of the burns on her arms. Neither were threats like the being stood before him. Bucky's eyes slid back over to look at the threat before him and found his muscles tensing under the sudden harshness of those storm blue eyes.

"Do you wish to visit violence upon My Lady Jane and the Lady Darcy?"

He'd considered it. If this man was a threat to himself and Harry, then it might be necessary to use the duo as human shields.

But only if he was left with no other option.

"Depends, you want to hurt me and mine?" He could see the moment when the male registered the slip of his tongue, that not only was he not alone, but that the comment of magic related to another.

"No, I wish no harm upon you or your trusted comrade. Tell me, was he injured in battle?" And then the man looked around, long blond hair swaying with the motion, as if fully expecting Bucky's injured comrade to appear out of thin air beside him. Well, if she wasn't injured, it was certainly a fair assessment of Harry.

Mentally reducing the male's threat level, Bucky folded his arms, sliding the knife he'd been playing with up his sleeve, not quite ready to face this stranger down without instant access to a weapon.

"How did you know about the magic?"

Here, the man looked pained.

"My…My brother was rather adapt at the art of magic. But he died mere months ago, and I was foolishly hoping that perhaps, I had been tricked again by him. But I understand now, this magic, it does not have the same flavour…. Oh, I am Thor Odinson." A large, meaty palm was held out between them, a gestured Bucky hesitantly accepted after a quick comparison of their arms. Odinson's were bigger than his, but neither were made of metal.

"James Barnes."

"It is nice to meet James Barnes!" Odinson's voice boomed through the room and Bucky cringed, watching as the two female's eyes snapped over to look at him. The smaller, thinner one only looked at him for a second before turning back to the nurse, but the female with the burns mouthed his name twice in suspicion. Thankfully, she was hustled away before she could do anything with the information.

"May I meet your comrade in arms James Barnes? I swear upon my honour I wish him no harm."

"Her," Bucky corrected absentmindedly, brain whirling. He knew who this was now, the damn God of Thunder. Of all the people to run into.

He'd rather not let a man of god level power anywhere near Harry when she was injured.

But he also knew that, despite Harry having given up her way to get home to stay with him, she also longed for any information she could get on magic. She wouldn't hurt him or get angry at him if he said no to Thor. But she would be very disappointed with him. Upset. Would get that crushed little pout on her face, and her eyes be dry but red around the edges as she struggled not to start tearing up.

God, he hated disappointing Harry.

"Fine. But the hammer stays with your companions."

Thor nodded sagely, grinning the entire time as he dropped his overly large body down into one of the waiting room chairs.

.

"You look at her the same way I look at my Lady Jane."

Sat beside Harry's bedside, Bucky's flickered his eyes up to look at Thor, who stood by the doorway, staring down at Harry with the oddest look upon his face.

Wistful, and sad. If he'd truly had a brother that shared powers similar to Harry, then Bucky assumed it would be difficult to see another like him.

Turning his gaze back to the female sleeping on the bed. It wasn't a natural sleep, he could tell because Harry wasn't shuffling about three minutes or so. She was so still, it wasn't right. Her face was pale from blood loss, making her red hair look even darker than normal.

"She was there when nothing else was. I can't lose that, can't lose her."

Thor gave a low hum of understanding, and though Bucky didn't look up from where he was sat by Harry's bedside, he could already tell the man's face would have softened like chocolate left out in the sun.

"I understand, my Lady Jane was there when my powers were stripped from me, she made me into a better man. Do not worry my friend, your lady is strong, she will pull through. I can sense it, her magic already heals her." Well, that was certainly a relief.

Taking a gentle hold of Harry's hand, Bucky threaded his fingers through hers, smiling slightly when the digits curled around his own. A sleepy mumble let him know that Harry's magic had long been waging war with the drugs that had her unconscious, a battle that was clearly seconds from being won.

As if on cue, Harry's eyes fluttered open and he heard Thor suck in a deep breath from the other side of the room.

"Harry?" She blinked again, hazy eyes taking in Thor's frozen form by the door before that brilliant green drifted over to look at him. A lazy grin bloomed across her face.

"Hey there Bucky. Told you I'd be fine."

Letting out a shaky laugh, Bucky lifted Harry's hand up, pressing his lips and nose into the back of her palm, breathing in the warm, comforting scent that clung to her skin. The limb was cold under his touch and he couldn't think of a time that Harry had been cold before. She'd told him that, usually, her magic kept her body at an optimal temperature. The only time it wouldn't was if her magic was drained doing other things. Like keeping her alive.

"Don't do that again."

"Okay. We'll take it easy, go somewhere nice and warm. Italy? Italy's got good pasta."

Closing his eyes, Bucky flipped Harry' palm over, pressing a gentle kiss into the plump flesh on the other side.

"Anywhere you want doll. Anywhere at all."

Harry's grin was tired, but no less meaningful. Her eyes flashed as she watched him press another kiss into her palm, cheeks slowly flushing a rosy red as she leaned further back into the pillows.

"You haven't introduced me to your new friend Buckster."

.

Harry got acquainted with Thor as she went about healing herself up. The huge wall of blond muscle had watched in complete fascination -apparently, his brother had never really looked into the healing arts- as she went about stitching her own skin up with her not-quite-herbal remedies.

They got talking on the different kinds of creatures that Thor had found on his adventures throughout the nine realms, and a mutual agreement was made; Thor would bring her different animal parts and plants from these far off places, and in exchange, he'd get half the potions made. Probably for his use on his nearest and dearest, considering they were all healing potions, as far as Bucky was aware.

Throughout it all, Harry didn't let go of his hand, and he spent his time tracing the veins he could see beneath her pale skin.

"Lady Harry, it has been wonderful talking to you, but I must go and seek out my Lady Jane. She will no doubt be worried by my prolonged absence. James Barnes, I wish you well on your courtship of Lady Harry." Thor grinned, rising from the chair he'd pulled over to rest beside Harry's bed at the same time Bucky's eyes snapped up to look at him.

"Courtship? as in, dating-courting?"

He and Harry weren't courting. Something close to that perhaps, but it'd never been officially acknowledge by either of them. Not aloud anyway. They were just too broken people trying to patch themselves back together, helping one another. Sometimes Harry was too pure, times when the Winter Soldier was closer to the surface than Bucky Barnes was.

And then sometimes, Harry was more distant and closed off when the 'The-Girl-Who-Loved' reared itself within her. Neither of them were whole, and that was okay. Bucky wanted all of Harry that she could give, and if Harry would accept it, she could have all that made up the man that was Bucky, the Winter Soldier.

"Aye," Thor continued, confusion flashing across his face for but a second as he looked between the two of them, "you trust each other with an intimacy shared only by the closest of couples. You share the same looks I remember my parents once sneaking one another. A sign of a good match if there ever were one. I wish the both of you well."

And with a regal nod, Thor, the God of Thunder, strode out the door.

.

Bucky sat there by the bed for a few minutes, just running his fingers across the back of Harry's hand for a bit longer before he peppered a kiss to the tips of her fingers.

"What do you say doll? Me, you, a dinner date in Italy?" This was normal, this was something Bucky Barnes had done before, invited a girl out for a day on the town. He'd never taken them to Italy before -would it really count this time, seeing as Harry would be the one getting them there?- but he could improvise. He might not be the Bucky of the past, but he was still a version of Bucky. A more world weary one, with a hell of a lot of baggage.

Then again, Harry wasn't travelling without any of her own either. They were equal in that respect.

"I'm pretty sure that living together is suppose to come after the dates, but yes. I would very much like to do dinner."

Now done with healing herself, Harry had clambered across the bed, righting herself when she stood beside him and one hand automatically going towards her recently healed midriff. It took very little effort on his part to steady her, metal arm wrapped around her waist and flesh one running through the wild curls of wine red hair.

"Right, let's get out of here then."

.

 _New York, America  
May 16th 2014_

"Is this a joke?"

Staring at the screen that Stark had pulled into existence before the two of them, Steve could only stare at the pair on the screen. It was a live feed from a small restaurant somewhere in Sicily, but Stark's facial recognition scanners had apparently picked up on Bucky.

With greedy eyes, Steve took in everything that was on the computer screen, feeling his heart hammer in his chest because Bucky was alive. He was alive, had lived from the train. He forcibly ignored the part about HYDRA being the reason he was still alive, instead focusing on the fact that Bucky was alive and not being used as a weapon any more.

He wasn't sure what to feel towards Bucky's new companion.

She was a pretty thing, Bucky's usual type. Her colouring was stunning, and his fingers flexed for the nearest pencil. He wanted to draw her, draw the two of them as they were now, sat across from one another in a small restaurant and looking so much more relaxed than that day they'd pulled him from the water.

Natasha might have been wary of the female that called herself 'Harry', but Steve felt nothing but gratitude for her. They'd met before, he remembered almost everything and certainly hadn't forgot the girl with such bright eyes that'd looked so distressed at the Smithsonian.

While part of him smarted over the fact he'd been so close to Bucky, so close and had clearly just missed him, another part of him was beyond pleased. Because 'Harry' had stuck it out with Bucky. There was no distress in her face now, she wasn't going to leave him on his own. Steve sent a pray of thanks to whatever was up there.

"Seems your bud's girl is a bit of big news over in Italy."

And there were files, newspaper reports and news-stories about a mysterious redhead woman making her way through a collection of Italian hospitals and healing children of diseases that'd been thought untreatable.

Natasha could say what she wanted, but Steve was pretty damn certain 'Harry' was good sorts. The kinda girl Mrs Barnes would have been happy to see her son bring home.

Steve watched as the duo accepted their meal from the waiter, unable to stop the smile when, as the girl stole a forkful of Bucky's pasta, his best friend retaliated by snatching up a whole slice of her garlic bread.

"What's the chance of us getting to Sicily before they're gone?"

"Zilch Cap, what with Red there being able to teleport. No point in flying out there when we'll only to have to turn around halfway there when they drop of radar again."

.

 _Trapani, Sicily  
May 16th 2014_

They had slowly made their way down from the North of Italy, to the South, before wandering into Sicily.

Sat in a small Piazza sharing a generous bowl of pasta between the two of them, Harry couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face if she wanted to.

Introducing Bucky to the wide variety of Italian cuisine had been a brilliant idea. The both of them appreciated food, and with the money from the galleons only dropping ever so slowly, they had more than enough time to enjoy the local food.

If Harry had just so happened to visit five different hospitals in history and cure several hundred children of diseases they'd been expected to die from now that she knew she'd be able to start making her healing potions again and didn't have to use them so sparingly, well… They were in the holy land, miracles were expected to happen here, were they not?

Though Bucky had been quite annoyed to realize she'd been caught on camera several times. She wasn't trained for espionage like he was, but really, that was a rookie mistake. And now the whole world was looking for the mysterious healer, especially when they compared notes and realized she'd been one of the two to stop a bank robbery back in the good old USA last month.

Hell, it was pure luck that no one had made the connection to the HYDRA attack in London though it was only a matter of time now. No doubt someone had caught something on video.

Blooming Muggles and their technology.

Rolling her eyes, Harry scooped up another mouthful of pasta, toes sliding out of her flip-flops and instead slowly dancing across the surface of Bucky's foot. His eyes snapped up to look at her, fork pausing halfway to his mouth and Harry felt her lips twist up at one corner in a flirty grin. And well, in for a penny-

Harry winked, toes drawing slow circles on Bucky's ankle. He laughed, covering the sound by shoving another forkful of pasta between his lips. But he was smiling back as he looked coyly up at her from beneath those thick black eyelashes, far lighter in spirit than she'd seen in him yet. Italy had been good for him, for both of them. The sun had worked it's magic, lightening both their moods as they spent longer beneath its warmth.

"So, done working miracles in Italy now?" Bucky mused, raising an eyebrow. The tendons of his ankle twitched beneath her toes and Harry grinned, curling the instep of her foot around the male's lower shin.

"I suppose I am… Do you want to try a country in East Europe?" She knew that making their way over there, going closer to Russia, left the two of them with a higher chance of Bucky falling into a bad memory. But if there was one thing that Harry believed in, it was that facing a problem head on was the way to get over it.

"Suppose it'll be best to get it over with. But someone warm next. Egypt?"

"Mmm, we can go tomb-raiding. My magic, your ninja skills, we'll walk away rich."

Bucky snorted, rolling his eyes but the sharp line of his shoulders relaxed as she spoke. Sliding smoothly free of her chair, Harry held out her hand to the dark haired male, grinning when the rough calluses' of his fingers brushed against her own.

They were gone with a sharp crack.

.

 _Ragonik, Sokovia_

 _May 27th 2014_

"Well it's nice to see our worlds do have a difference. There's certainly no Sokovia where I came from."

Dropping to the ground beside Bucky, Harry cocked her head back, admiring the sun through the thick leaves of the trees.

"'Where you came from'? Not 'your world'?"

Glancing over at Bucky, who was sat beside her and staring resolutely forwards, Harry's teeth dragged across the skin of her lower lip, coming dangerously close to puncturing the flesh. After a moment's hesitation, she shuffled the few inches closer to her companion, resting her head upon his shoulder and letting out a low sigh as she did so.

Metal whirled, plates shifting in the arm she was currently not using as a headrest, until a half defeated, half amused sigh escaped Bucky's lips. Then he shifted, arm coming to wrap around her waist instead and leaning back enough that she could rest on his chest without slipping down.

"Well yeah. Now that I'm staying here, this is kind of my world too… You can't claim the whole world for yourself Bucky." Poking the man in the stomach, Harry felt the muscles flutter under her fingertips as he laughed, a smooth low chuckle much unlike anything she would have heard a year ago.

"I don't need a world. Just a few of the people in it." Bucky's chin came to rest on her head before Harry could think too much on his words, leaving Harry to snuggle a bit closer to the human space heater that was her companion.

For the past week and a bit, the two of them had been jumping between countries, using public libraries to Google destinations they wanted to visit, and then Harry would apperate them to each different one. The only reason they were in Sokovia -an unappealing country in all honesty, what with the current political climate and its distinctive lack of anything interesting- was because Harry couldn't recall the country at all in her original world. The picture of the forest they'd gotten had reminded Harry of her time spent in the Forest of Dean with Hermione, and so, here they were.

"Mmm, I'm thinking we take off for Egypt when the new month graces us with its presence. I heard the sunsets there are particularly pretty. Thoughts, Buck-o?"

The steady rise and fall of Bucky's chest was slowly luring Harry into the promise of a peaceful sleep.

Really, she couldn't think of a time that she'd had so much peace as she had in the past year. True, they'd gotten into a few scuffles, the shooting with HYDRA in London, the bank, and then there was all her good deeds. Visiting the hospitals to heal sick kids, helping people just because she could… It felt good.

The Wizarding World had clamoured for every miracle she could give them; these people were thankful for what they could get.

"Don't care. As long as you stay with me doll, I'll have the best view in the world."

Okay, so maybe she was inexplicably fond of the forties charm that Bucky carried too. Sue her. She could remember sitting down with Hermione and watching the old movies when it was her twentieth birthday, could remember the suave and charm. Both of which Bucky oozed in his good moments.

Then again, she could manage charm could be soft and fluffy and cuddly when she was having a good day too. But that wasn't all that they were, and that was a good thing. Because too much of a good thing was a recipe for disaster.

.

She was feeling so tired, so relaxed, that she almost missed it.

Almost.

The first clue was Bucky tensing, the second was the slight prod at her mental barriers.

And then Bucky let out a wounded scream beside her, arm leaving her waist to clutch at his head with the metal one whirling.

Mind magics.

Someone was daring to use mind magics against them, against Bucky.

Anger that'd only been a cooling ember flared to life within Harry, with such an intensity that it took her a second to think clearly. As soon as she could though, the Elder Wand was in her hand and a wordless spell on her lips.

Regardless, a dark haired female was pulled from the bushes, seemingly by invisible hands in her hair, screaming as she went. Harry didn't feel much mercy as the bright hazel eyes landed on her and rounded with fear.

That was all Harry got to see, because something smacked her in the back and sent her flying into a tree. Harry heard Bucky roar with rage, star bursting to life behind her eyes even as her mind raced to pinpoint the source of her attacker. It wasn't magic, hadn't felt like magic. More like…

Like two hands pushing her. But it'd happened so fast.

Screaming as she was once again thrown across the clearing, Harry barrelled into Bucky, who managed to catch her in such a way that when they both hit the floor, it was he who absorbed the most of the damage.

Scowling, Harry pointed her wand upwards, casting the widespread version of 'Aresto Momentum'. To her absolute delight, a male appeared in the clearing. The one she'd slowed down to an average human.

So she wasn't going crazy, there really was a guy that could run faster than she could see.

It was only when a bang resounded unnervingly close to her ears that Harry realized Bucky had managed to pull out his gun and shot the speedy bugger in the leg. With the girl still incapacitated by her instinctive magic, and the male now on the ground and bleeding from a bullet wound to his thigh, forcibly slowed down by her magic, Harry let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

The imminent danger had passed, so it seemed.

Carefully placing her hand on Bucky's gun, Harry forcibly lowered it, other hand reaching to cup his cheek.

"Are you okay?"

His eyes were a dulled grey, more grey than the blue they usually where.

Fury flared again because that woman had dared to mess with Bucky's mind. Just when he'd started to get it all sorted out, just when he was feeling more and more like himself.

Peppering a kiss to the tip of Bucky's nose, Harry shot two stunners at their unexpected guests, stopping the male from bleeding out as an afterthought.

"Help me cart these two into the tent. We'll find out exactly who they are and what they're up to."

Every tilt and line of his face suggested Bucky was very much against this course of action, and would probably much prefer to just leave them here on the forest floor until Harry's magic wore off.

It wasn't until Harry brushed the hair back from his forehead, stuck there by the sweat that'd come about from the mind magics, that he gave a very shallow nod.

"Fine. But one wrong move and I'm pumping them full of lead."

* * *

 **So, I don't know how long I'll be making this, whether it'll be two parts or three or four or whatever. I think two or three, but if I'm hit was more inspiration, who knows. Regardless, it's taking me more time to write this than it did Valiant, so I figured I'd do it in parts. Big parts, but parts. A few notes below;**

 **That necklace given at the bank was a necklace Luna gave her, she's got about five in her trunk but always wears one for luck.**

 **I gave the forest that the Avengers first meet Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in a name. The country's made up, and thus, so is the name of the forest. Only difference being I made the name of the forest.**

 **Tsume**

 **xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Dauntless**

 _.  
_

 _Ragonik, Sokovia  
_ _May 27th 2014_

When Pietro Maximoff woke up, it was to the blistering pain in his left leg. Hissing, the silver haired male shot up. Or tried to. His arms refused to obey his commands, and his torso didn't feel like moving either apparently.

"Settle down Pietro, she will help."

Squinting against the lighting, which actually wasn't as harsh as he'd been expecting, the Sokovian scanned the room for his sister. But he didn't even get to twist his head around, because his gaze fell on the two unknowns in the room with him, and it all came rushing back.

Being given leave from the base to practice their powers in the surrounding area, the run, free and wild, watch Wanda lift impossible things with her new powers. And then coming across two people in the woods, a couple that'd clearly decided to go on a backpacking holiday through the forest. They weren't locals, that much had been obvious by the quality of their clothes.

It'd angered him, angered him that these people considered his country nothing more than a pit stop. He'd felt justified, casually asking Wanda if they should test their powers on these interlopers.

He hadn't even considered the possibility that there might be something special about them too.

And while the man had screamed when Wanda had used her powers, the girl had reacted. She'd been violent, pulling Wanda from her hiding place and the fear on her face had jolted him from his shock and into action.

But then the girl had slowed him down somehow -he didn't know how, he needed to know so he'd be able to overcome it- and then the male had shot him. No wonder his leg hurt.

Before he could even consider leaping up and attacking the duo, Wanda's hand came to rest on his forehead, brushing back the hair that had come to rest there. His eyes darted over to look at her, but his twin was a blank mask, unreadable to his eyes.

Yet she was not attacking the duo, even seemed comfortable in their presence.

So as Wanda eased him upwards, Pietro found himself gasping in pain as the bullet -he could feel it, feel it in his leg and then moving about- was pulled from his thigh. The redhead that he'd attacked was holding it between a bloodied finger and thumb before she threw it away, going back this his wound and…

And slowly healing it. It wasn't a painless process, but had she not done it, he'd have been recovering from the wound for months. That didn't mean he wasn't above wanting to beat her black and blue for hurting Wanda.

"Don't even think about it."

His gaze darted over to the male, who was stood with his arms folded, guns strapped to his thighs and a single, wicked looking knife in hand. In a metal hand. What the hell kind of people had they attacked?

"Pietro, do not threaten Harry. He will not respond kindly," Wanda's eyes darted over to look at the metal armed man, her face showcasing her worry. Because the man was apparently capable of being very dangerous if he threatened… Harry?

The woman then. She was a pretty thing, with vibrant, dark red hair and the brightest of green for eyes.

"Harry?" His sluggish mouth finally managed to vocalize, focusing on the way the female's shoulders tensed slightly, how Metal Arm took a threatening step forwards.

Without even looking up, the girl addressed him, "Bucky, it's fine. We're in my tent, he's under my magic and they won't harm us because they can't. Trust me?" She didn't even pay him any attention, instead cocking her head back and looking over at the male she'd addressed as Bucky.

In the tense few seconds of silence, the male eyed the two of them and Pietro had never wanted to put himself between Wanda and someone else so much before. He hadn't realized it at first, but now he knew he was looking at a man who wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he proved to be a threat. A man who'd killed before, judging by the look in his eyes. Who would kill for the girl called Harry.

But then, the icy blue eyes shifted over to look at the female and he slowly nodded, sheathing the knife.

Great, one manic now on standby instead of high alert. Now what the hell had the girl been talking about when she said tent? Because Pietro had seen one small tent when they tried to test their powers out, and it was nowhere near big enough to be the place they were currently in. This place, looking like a quaint little home that had no place in the middle of a forest.

.

It was five minutes later, five minutes of irritating silence that he couldn't break -if he opened his mouth he was going to whimper or cry in pain before these strangers and that was unacceptable- and the other three refused to break, that the female seemed done healing his leg.

She stood up, taking a step back, right into Metal Arm who'd moved as if he were a ninja. He wrapped her close to his chest, possessively resting his head atop her's and burying his nose in the wild wine-coloured curls.

They were very much the couple in the forest, but Pietro couldn't read half of their interactions. That had never been his forte, people had always been Wanda's thing. She understood them better than him, which was perhaps why she'd gotten the more mind based powers.

But he didn't think even Wanda would be able to read all the reasons behind their interactions, how the male's metal fingers rested just as the swell of the female's hip, her top stretched taunt beneath his grip.

"Thank you, for healing my brother." Wanda's voice broke him from his thoughts and Pietro snapped around to stare at his sister, mouth open in affront.

"She shouldn't have." The male, Bucky, spoke with real annoyance in his voice, helping the female in his arms slowly work her way out of the shirt she was wearing.

Pietro wasn't able to stop his eyes drifting across the female's figure, taking in the deep blue of her underwear, even as he felt the murderous eyes of 'Bucky' silently promising his death. He stopped though, when the female presented her back to the three of them.

Huge bruises marred the skin there, and he knew instantly what it was from. He had thrown her into a tree after all.

Wanda watched with her lips pursed into a thin line as Metal Arm went about smearing some kind of paste across her back, the bruising fading almost seconds afterwards. Even though she'd attacked Wanda, a part of his twinged with guilt at the wound, but he refused to back down. They weren't at fault here, if they hadn't been in the forest, then-

"We are at fault, Pietro."

"What?!"

"We should not have attacked them. It was an abuse of the powers we were given. We were nothing more than Stark, with his shiny new missiles."

His stomach churned. That couldn't be right, could it? They wouldn't do that, they hadn't attacked innocent people-

But then again, hadn't these two just been minding their own business. He'd heard them, speaking of going to Egypt next. A tour of the world? They'd just seemed so relaxed, travellers, he hadn't thought.

"I'm sorry." It stumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it, certainly before he could even think about what he was saying.

While Metal Arm stiffened even more, the tension left Harry completely as she pulled her shirt back over her head.

"Good. I've already talked to your sister, but I figured it's best to clear it up with you too." She knelt by the couch he was laid out on, her eyes intensely focused on him and Pietro found himself fighting off the urge to squirm under her gaze.

"Never go into a fight expecting to be the strongest. Because I've seen people more powerful than me meet their deaths that way. And don't go around using your powers on people who don't have any, make the right choice, not the easy one." She stood up then, running a hand through her hair and turning her back on him, as if he'd not thrown her into a tree mere minutes ago. Was it minutes? How long had he been unconscious?

"Wanda'll have to help you to the table, because I don't want you walking on that leg for the next thirty minutes. Hope you like stew."

.

He actually had no idea why he was sat up to table with a genuine witch, ex-assassin and his sister, in a tent that was bigger on the inside than it was out. He couldn't even begin to guess how Harry had managed to talk the two of them into staying for dinner, even if the stew smelt good and tasted even better.

But they did stay, and they listened to Harry story of how she'd met Bucky and how they'd been travelling the world so far, their adventures. He clenched his jaw at the mention of HYDRA, what they'd done to the man who'd stared him down with no fear in his eyes.

But they weren't working with HYDRA, they were using them. Using them to get back at Stark.

They weren't like Metal Arm, because they were the ones with the power here.

He tried to ignore Harry's sad smile whenever she looked at him, like she knew more than he did.

When Metal Arm had grumbled that Harry should have just forced them to be good people, the redhead had frowned in disapproval.

"If we forced them to comply, to become what we consider good and right, then we would be no better than those that used you Buckster. People have choices, and it's not something to be taken away in any circumstance."

Metal Arm had annoyed him, but then he remembered their fight not thirty minutes ago, along with Metal Arm's background story. And he felt like the worst kind of scum. Mind control on a recovering brainwashed assassin.

Yeah, brilliant. He was a horrible person.

And yet still, Harry had invited them to dinner. It was obvious that Metal Arm would rather have them anywhere but here, but Harry was happy for their company. She'd gifted them a strange necklace each, made of some kind of obscure bottle-caps, something that'd let her know if they were in trouble and needed any help. He hadn't thought they were people like her left in the world, but clearly he stood corrected.

So it was with a full stomach, a better understanding of what it meant to have powers, and with a new friend -and quite possibly an assassin plotting his death- that Pietro found himself stood outside of the magic tent.

Sharing a look with Wanda, Pietro had pulled the necklace over his head, letting it come to rest loosely around his neck as Wanda did the same.

"Well, that was surreal."

"They are good people Pietro, good people who have been through bad circumstances and are working on making themselves whole again." His sister smiled, looking up at the sky above their heads, which had turned to twilight while they'd been beneath the canvas of wonder-tent.

"Harry believes that we'll make mistakes on the path we are on, that we will come to regret it. But she also believes that it is important we do our own thing to build character. Otherwise, I believe she would have us travel with her."

"Travelling the world in the wonder-tent sounds good, yes? Sharing that space with the possessive assassin? Not so much."

Wanda laughed, a husky little thing and her eyes gleaming red as her power swirled between her fingers.

"We have made good friends today. Do try to not ruin it brother."

* * *

As soon as the Maximoffs had left the general vicinity, Harry turned to look up at Bucky with her eyes wide and bright.

"Are you angry?"

"I don't understand why you want to let them continue working with HYDRA. After what they've done…"

Taking a gentle hold of Bucky's hands, Harry slowly wrapped them around her back, snaking her own up to come to rest around his shoulders.

"They aren't like HYDRA, Bucky. They'll make mistakes, but that'll help them grow. And those necklaces will let me know when they need our help. And they will. They'll get in too deep, and then we'll help them. And you'll get supreme satisfaction of looking Pietro in the face and calling him an idiot."

A low chuckle made its home in her hair, followed by the strong nose that usually rested there whenever Bucky decided to hug her. Or whenever she decided Bucky needed a hug.

"I'll be calling him a lot worse than that."

Harry snorted, slowly tracing circles across Bucky's skin, the back of his neck, the thick scar tissue that surrounded the metal of his shoulder. She could feel him slowly melting, like butter beneath the touch of heat, becoming softer with each passing second.

God he was a wonderful human being. He wasn't a good man, but he was striving to be. And for Harry, right now, that was enough for her.

Pressing her face a bit further into his shoulder, the human one, Harry inhaled, the warm musk that was Bucky's natural scent mixing with the lingering zing of his aftershave.

"Smell good?"

"Mmm, you smell the best."

Another laugh, huskier than the first, found itself muffled into her curls and Harry felt the smile curving at her lips. She loved this world, loved the lack of pressure, loved that she could live her life how she wanted it without any expectations, loved-

She liked almost all the friendly people she'd met so far.

But she loved the person she'd been spending the most time with. She'd never been in love with anyone before. There'd be crushes, fancies, those she'd fallen into lust with, as few as there'd been.

But never full out love. Not like this. The ease with which the two of them interacted, the way she wished that their days of constant travel could never end, her desire for things to never change.

She was in love with Bucky.

"Doll? You there?"

Looking up at the male, Harry took in every sharp line and smooth curve of his face with new eyes. She loved the light stubble that always dusted his jaw. Loved the long hair he'd taken to throwing back in a rough bun or ponytail, loved the frosted blue eyes that only ever seemed to warm for her.

"I love you." It came from between her lips as naturally as breathing, and acceptance flooded through her system. The sky was blue, the grass green, and Harry Potter was in love with Bucky Barnes. It was that simple.

"You do?" Bucky's voice was hoarse, eyes shining and lips parted, tongue half done on its job moistening them.

Stretching up onto her tiptoes, Harry pressed her lips against his, angling her head so that their noses brushed instead of bumped.

"Yeah," She breathed against his mouth, pulling back for only a second before recapturing the them as Bucky's fingers dug into her hips, "I do."

.

Bucky's hands were everywhere, one hot and one cold but each as greedy as the other.

They'd stumbled back into his bedroom, the back of her knees meeting the mattress and sending her toppling onto the perfectly made sheets. Bucky followed her down with an enviable ease, their lips never parting until he decided he'd much rather nip at the corner of her jaw than tease her mouth any more.

Her hands had scrunched at the hem of Bucky's shirt, halfway to pulling it up but thoroughly distracted by his mouth's seductive pinches.

"Shirt off," Harry grumbled, letting go off the offending fabric with one hand to shimmy out of her own.

"Speedy Bastard really annoyed me you know, getting a look when I've been waiting for weeks."

A kiss was pressed to her collar bone, Bucky throwing their shirts away and clearly uncaring where they'd land. As far as Harry was concerned, they could be stole sucked into a portal leading back to the Wizarding World and she wouldn't care.

Hell, the world could be on fire right now and she'd still care more about getting Bucky out of those jeans.

Unclasping her bra took a few seconds, but shimmying out of it and then having Bucky immediately start lavishing her with attention was more than worth it. The incredible sensation of cool metal against one nipple and hot flesh against the other was mind-boggling, and all Harry could think to do was arch her back and whimper for more.

"You're gorgeous doll-face," Bucky mouthed into the wet patch he'd left on her collar-bone, stubble scratching at her skin and Harry lightly growled beneath her breath.

One dainty hand found the tent of his jeans and gave a teasing squeeze, provoking a gasp from her companion.

God he looked good, head resting on her shoulder and lips mouthing some form of pray against her skin.

The metal arm slid beneath the material of her jeans, squeezing at her bottom and Harry worked her free hand into popping the button of her jeans.

.

Any remaining clothes were quickly abandoned and Harry found herself pressed into the mattress, gasping loudly and clenching the fingers that were wrapped around her own.

"Everything okay?" Bucky whispered, pupils blown wide with arousal and lips as red as her hair.

"I will be when you start moving," Harry insisted, bucking her hips and enjoying the way Bucky hissed.

"Brooklyn girls were never so demanding."

"Yeah, well you picked and Englishwoman, and our men are usually polite enough to not just stop when things are just getting started."

Bucky laughed at her words and the lack of heat behind them, clearly much more interested in the breathless tone that'd voiced them.

"Well doll, I don't know about any Englishmen, but this Brooklyn boy will leave you breathless."

"That a challenge?"

A jolt of hips and Harry arched, pressing her chest to Bucky's.

"It's a promise."

.

 _Valley of the Kings, Egypt  
July 13th 2014_

Harry woke up to the feel of cool metal around her neck.

As she had already assured Bucky, the runes she'd painstakingly stitched into every canvas wall of the tent had activated, and as soon as a threat was made on her life, the source had been paralysed. He'd warned her that violent reactions to dreams could happen, and really, seeing as they'd been sleeping in the same bed now for over a month, she'd been expecting it.

It didn't stop her from panicking slightly when she woke up to someone so close to strangling her.

Shifting slightly, Harry forcefully rolled over from where arry

Bucky's had been spooning her, looking into his panic filled, but lucid, blue eyes. She deactivated the runes with little thought, capturing Bucky's face with her hands before he could even begin to recoil away.

"No panicking remember? Not when my magic threw you across the room a week ago."

Sneaking a little kiss in before Bucky could open his mouth to speak, Harry drew back her head as Bucky's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer.

"No panicking. But I'd really like to not go back to sleep. Or stay in this room really."

"Well, since I'm up, let's go do what brought us to Egypt in the first place."

.

 _New York, America  
July 14th 2014_

"Is this a joke?"

Tony looked like his birthday had arrived early, but this time, it'd brought Christmas along for the ride. Christmas and Independence day.

Eyeing the eagle that was perched on the balcony outside cautiously, Steve Rogers approached slowly, staring out of the glass panelling. But it was just as JARVIS had said.

Their country's symbolic animal was indeed taking up residence on Tony's favourite chair outside, and it did indeed have a letter attached to its leg. A letter addressed to him.

Tony was still cackling in the background.

With a sigh, Steve gestured for JARVIS to do, something, and one of the glass panels lowered itself just enough for the eagle to swoop gracefully inside.

Tony squawked in shock as the bird landed neatly before Steve and then proceeded to present its leg to him. Offering up the letter it was carrying.

"Is that a bald eagle, delivering your mail?"

Sighing, Steve reached out and accepted the letter, confusion heightening when the bird didn't make to retreat and instead went about making itself comfortable on the back of the sofa. Right by his shoulder. And nipped at his ear. In an almost affectionate manner.

"JARVIS, are you getting this?"

Growling, Steve ripped open the letter with a little more force that he probably should have, only just managing to catch the golden ring that shot out from it confines. There was nothing to be done for the series of small, square photos that fluttered to the ground, landing in disarray, followed by a thicker sheet of paper that Steve assumed to be the letter itself.

It wasn't until Tony sucked in a deep breath that Steve, who'd been studying the dusty looking gold ring with an artist's curious eye, turned his attention to them. And stopped.

Because there, on those little squares of paper, was Bucky and his companion.

Snatching as many up as he could, Steve couldn't stop Tony from getting his hands on one or two, but he saved the vast majority from the nosy man.

In one photo Bucky and the female, Harry, stared back out at him, stood before the Eifel tower. They were both dressed in reasonable summer wear, Harry grinning while Bucky looked over at her and rolled his eyes.

The next one, they were stood knee deep in some kind of water -a river?- and Harry kept splashing Bucky until he tackled her into the water. It kept replaying over and over again, like some kind of moving picture. Literally, a moving picture.

"JARVIS! How the hell is this picture moving?! It's on paper! Paper!"

Leaving Stark to his little technology crisis, Steve allowed his attention to drift back to the photos, the next showing the duo before one of the pyramids.

He'd feared the worst, reading all about what HYDRA had done to the Winter Soldier, to force his compliance. But Harry was good for Bucky. She was taking him across the world, and they were both clearing enjoying it. Steve just wished his best friend felt safe enough to bring his girl home, so that Steve could meet her.

Meet her and thank her. She'd done right by Bucky, and that was good enough for him.

Pulling out the letter, Steve flicked it open, fires of hope sizzling to mere embers when he noticed it wasn't in Bucky's handwriting.

' _Hello Steve Rogers,_

 _I don't know if you're aware -I assume you are by now, but assuming makes an ass out of you and me, so- but your good friend Bucky? Yeah, he's alive. Doesn't quite feel up to writing just yet, so I traded a foot-rub so that I'll do it for him. He says hi by the way. Oh, and to stop getting into fights that're over your head and leave that to the actual god. I assume that's Thor? Anyway, I thought it'd be best to send you an update on how we're doing now that Bucky feels comfortable letting you know. So here, have some photos of our many adventures so far. And a ring. Bucky felt you'd like the ring; it's one of the things we picked out from the tombs we found.  
_ _By the way, the eagle that delivered this letter is a post eagle. Basically, it's a normal one that I magiced into carrying post. It can find anyone in the world and deliver mail as long as you have a full name, or name and address. His name is Washington, and yes, Bucky picked that out for you. And he's all yours. Consider it a late birthday gift from the two of us._

 _Wishing you all the best,  
_ _Hariel 'Harry' Lillian Potter & James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes_

"It'll deliver mail to anyone?" Tony's voice echoed over his ear and Steve swore, leaping to his feet because when had the man got behind him?

"I don't believe it. Let's try and have it send some flowers to Pepper."

.

It would only be fifteen minutes later that Tony would receive a call from Pepper, who though touched he'd thought to send her flowers, couldn't understand the significance of the eagle.

.

 _New York, America  
December 21st 2014_

Stamping the snow off her boots, Harry looked around the swanky lobby that belonged to Stark. Stark Tower? Avengers Tower? Harry wasn't too sure. It was the tower though. And right now, that was all that mattered.

Running her hand across the bridge of her nose, Harry tapped a finger against the large red end she'd transfigured, the shining example of holiday spirit. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

Beside her, Bucky huffed, in a similar get up with antlers sprouting out from his head. They'd gotten a few funny looks coming in through security, but most just seemed to assume it was some kind of dress code for Stark's private Christmas party, which was happening upstairs.

And with the Christmas Miracle of the year out the way -the children's ward at the main hospital had been empty by the time Harry left- Harry felt like it was time to start reaching out to the Avengers. Even if there was only one of them in the tower right now, seeing as evil never slept.

She'd already thrown out a spell to track down Bucky's old friend Steve, and he was on the other side of America right now. The tower was practically empty, she knew for a fact that Thor and his lady love weren't there.

Mainly because she'd invited the duo, along with Darcy and Erik, to join them for a Christmas meal the next day, which they would be hosting in the tent. Thor was quite eager to see what her magic would do for this Midgardian holiday.

His companions just seemed to want to see the 'TARDIS' tent.

Though what that actually meant, Harry wasn't too sure. She was however, about fifty percent certain that it was a pop culture reference.

Given that she'd been out of contact with the muggle world since the age of eleven, had time travelled and not really gotten a chance to watch TV with the Dursleys, it was little wonder that she was as behind as Bucky. Hell, he was proving to be a bit more insightful on this front than she was already.

Threading her fingers through Bucky's flesh hand -because even now he felt more comfortable with his stronger arm free- Harry stepped onto the elevator and gave a little wave to the slightly dazed guards.

.

They only went up three or so floors before the power seemed to cut, so to speak. Bucky tensed, but didn't immediately go on the offensive. Of course, he knew that Harry could teleport them out within a split second. It didn't mean he wasn't going to raise his guard.

Meanwhile, Harry just adjusted the bag that hung over her shoulder, beaming pleasantly up at the camera in the elevator.

"You are in a restricted access zone, state your intentions." The voice was posh and reminded Harry of the way Blaise Zabini had spoken, but the accent was all English, not Italian.

"Hi, my name's Harry and this is Bucky, we're here to spread some holiday cheer?"

Raising their linked arms, Harry waved them back and forth, like this blatant display of openness would somehow make them more believable. There was still a pause, in which Harry found herself frowning, adjusting her grip on the bag and soothing her thumb across Bucky's knuckles when his fingers clenched, hard enough to drive his short cut nails into the back of her hand. Harry hissed in pain, accepting Bucky's apologetic kiss to the temple before she once again turned to the camera.

"I've bought cookies and chocolate. Magical food. N-Not like drugs or anything!" Harry spluttered out, elbowing Bucky in the ribs when he gave a husky chuckle at her stumble. "Magically baked. And the gingerbread men do battle and everything. Please let us in."

There was another moment of still silence, before finally, the elevator began moving again.

"Welcome to Stark Tower, Miss Potter, Sergeant Barnes. Sir will see to you shortly, and I am to inform you, that you are lucky Sir thought he would be feeding Captain Rogers, and had subsequently ordered a great deal of food."

Grinning sheepishly, Harry rocked back on her heels, before thinking better of it and resting her head against Bucky's shoulder.

"Sounds good to me."

.

Tony Stark does indeed meet them in the penthouse. With one hand raised and garbed in part of the Ironman suit. Bucky was quick to put himself between the two of them, metal arm raised in defence at the same time Harry went for her wand.

However, it only took a tense two seconds before Stark apparently decided he did indeed like them, and inviting them to join both himself and Pepper for dinner. Harry felt a bit bad about crashing what was so clearly a date night, but they were already here, so it appeared it was time to suck it up.

Sat up to the expensive glass table, with the expensive silver cutlery and the expensive wine and food, Harry shared a look with Bucky.

"Now I really feel like we've been slumming it these past few months."

Her companion snorted, offering his hand to Pepper, planting a kiss upon it before he took his seat.

"You pretty much plucked me out of the slums, Harry. The tent's been a luxury."

Tony -"It's not Stark, it's Tony!"- had seated himself at the head of the small table, Pepper to his right but allowed Harry to take the seat to his left She'd felt Bucky's frown, that she was between him and the biggest threat in the room, but he didn't say anything.

"Thanks for not kicking us out," Harry murmured, offering Pepper Potts a sheepish smile.

The woman just smiled back at her, primly plucking up her knife and fork and serving herself a slice of turkey.

"It's no problem. Much better company then the people who tried to crash our last Christmas."

.

Dinner went surprisingly well.

When it came out that Bucky had always had an interest in technology, having worked both on the docks and in a mechanics garage -one guess which job he'd preferred-, Tony had insisted on dragging him down to the workshop once the meal was over, eager to show his new friend the innermost workings of whatever car he'd been playing about with.

Lacking anything better to do, Harry and Pepper had followed after the duo, the strawberry blonde smartly informing her that she would purchase some books for Bucky to study the subject in depth if that was what he wanted.

Momentarily stunned, Harry had accepted the books on her friend's behalf, shooting a quick cleaning charm at one of the unoccupied work benches.

The second the bag was open, the armies of gingerbread-men began marching out, much to Pepper's surprise and Tony's delight. The four of them sat, watching as the miniature battle took place, before finally, the one's carrying the red star upon their backs, instead of the green lightning bolt, won.

Bucky had offered her a little smirk, evidently smug that the little men he'd designed had dominated the battlefield.

Harry swore there would be vengeance for her little army in the future.

* * *

"Hey Fury, just thought I'd let you know that Terminator 2.0 and his Firecracker friend stopped by early."

Stood by the window overlooking the great expanse of New York City, Tony Stark rubbed thoughtfully at his jaw with one hand, the other nibbling on one of the limbs lost in the great gingerbread-men war of '14.

It'd certainly been a sight to see, and now he was more determined than ever to work out 'magic'. Thor had told them that magic was science that they just didn't understand yet.

JARVIS had gotten the readings of the strange energy that Hariel 'Harry' Potter had been giving off, and had made sure to bury it deep, deep within the Stark servers. He did not want HYDRA or SHIELD getting their grubby little hands on that. This was his puzzle to solve.

Regardless though, it was probably best to call in and let the former Director of SHIELD know what'd happened over the past four hours. Bucky and Harry were long gone now, Harry having agreed to teleport out of the building right in front of him. It'd been incredible to watch.

Teleportation. Not only was it real, but he actually had a chance at cracking it right now. Maybe. There'd be a lot of work. And she'd only agreed to that if he took a look at the assassin's arm in the future.

"What the hell are you talking about Stark."

"You know, your Seasonal Soldier and his pretty little red-head. I have to say, I do love her hair. Very pretty colour, it appeals to the alcoholic in me."

The magical's hair was wine coloured after all. And while wine wasn't his first choice, Tony wasn't picky enough to not appreciate a good glass of wine.

"You better not be talking about the Winter Soldier, Stark."

"Oh but I am. They crashed our dinner, brought cookies that do battle and some magical liquor, so all was forgiven. I'm not even kidding, Firewhisky, it has you breathing fire. Fire."

And hadn't that been a surprise. He'd had JARVIS run diagnostic on a sample, but it'd come back with usual ingredients, mixed with the energy that Harry was constantly giving off.

"I'll send a half-full report at some point in the future. More importantly, I found out it's not just teleporting she can do. Heal wounds, enchant little gingerbread-men to do battle, make some killer magical whisky, and I'm betting there's more. Hell, she cleaned one of my work benches better than any professionals I've ever hired, and that was in the space of a second. I want her on the team. We need someone with super-healing. But where she goes, Barnes'll follow. They're tight Fury. So whatever plans you've got for them, if I get them on team, you drop them."

"Stark-"

"No! If they agree to come stay here, they're mine. End of story."

"You'll have to get to them first, Stark."

.

 _Chengdu, China  
January 2nd 2015_

Nuan Kao knew Chengdu like the back of her hand. Born and raised, she'd grown up running down the streets, exploring the scatterings of parks dotted about, attended the local schools. She hadn't done too bad for herself, seeing as now, at the age of eighteen, she had a job lined up ready and waiting for her in a week's time, when she would officially get her exam results.

Life was going rather well, in all honestly.

Until two sets of hands reached out, one pair taking hold of her arms and the other set covering her mouth as she tried to scream. Cheap cologne invaded her senses and Nuan choked at the overpowering scent, so strong it felt like she could almost taste it.

Nuan struggled, twisting her body back and forth as all the warnings of being female, being out after dark and being out on your own, echoed through her head. Tears began leaking through her eyes, even more so as a knife went through the palm of her hand before pressing against the tender skin of her neck.

Nuan froze, even though every instinct she had told her to scream and sob over the throbbing pain in her hand, the blood pulsating through it. The thick liquid was trickling down between her fingers, and a sobbed wrecked out through her throat.

"Here's what's going to happen," one of the men snarled, pressing the knife a little deeper into her throat, "you're gon-"

He cut off with a choking sound, the knife suddenly getting ripped from his grip and thrown to the other side of the alley.

There was a flash of metal, and Nuan took a step back in terror as a men with an arm made of metal hefted her attacker into the air, the other unconscious on the floor by his feet. His hair was long, stopping just before his shoulders started, a deep chestnut brown. He was white, with pale blue eyes that burned as he tightened his grip on her attacker.

A pair of hands came down on Nuan's arm and she screamed in shock, attempting to twist away.

"Wait, wait. I'm trying to help."

It took the dark haired woman a second to puzzle through the English as it was spoken, but Nuan had already found herself calming when she'd laid sight on the other woman.

She was short, evidentially European, with thick red hair and eyes greener than Nuan had ever thought possible. Most importantly though, was the fact she'd taken Nuan's hand ever so gentle with her own and was, healing it?

Staring, the eighteen year old could in watch in wonder as the wound sizzled, slowly healing over and leaving nothing more than a tickling sensation behind.

"Bucky."

It took Nuan a few seconds before she realized this wasn't an English word she didn't know the meaning of, and she wasn't addressing Nuan at all, but instead speaking to the owner of the metal arm.

His name was Bucky? What strange English name was that? Or American?

The male with the metal arm -Bucky- grunted in annoyance, but nevertheless dropped the man he'd been holding to the ground. He too crumpled to the floor, the blood leaking from his lips indicating he'd taken a good punch to the torso, internal bleeding.

Bucky straightened, looking the both of them up and down before he crouches beside the two of them. There was something fond in his face, as he looked at the woman with the impossibly green eyes, and it didn't fit. Not with the man who just so ruthlessly tore the men hurting her apart. So to speak.

"T-Thank you." Her English is shaky, and she was pretty sure she slipped on a vowel of two, but her heroes seem to understand her, because they both smiled.

Or rather, the female gave a sad grin and the male's lips twitched slightly at the corner.

"Do you want us to walk you home?"

Nuan blinked slowly, watching as the duo exchanged looks before they glanced at her again.

It was a little hard to work through the English again, especially since panic was still thrumming through her veins, but she managed it.

Nuan nodded her head, accepting the hand the female offers to help her to her feet. Her healed palm didn't so much as twitch with pain, and the eighteen year old was sure that today, she was the luckiest girl in the world.

* * *

"So, that was horrible."

Harry glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and Bucky nodded, his own face tight as they both returned to the alley where that girl had being attacked. Or kidnapped.

One of two options.

Neither really appealed to Bucky, and he was damn well glad he stopped it.

With Harry's help of course, even if she was the one patching up the girl.

The metal plates of his arms creaked as they shifted, hand curled into a fist and refusing to unfold, despite Harry's firm look.

"Tony says he'll have the arm figured out shortly, and you can go to him for a tune up."

"Of course he does."

Understandably, he was still wary around the man. He'd killed Howard Stark and his wife after all. Under the orders of someone else, but he'd still been the one to shoot the bullet, to ensure the car would crash in a way that would result in no survivors.

If Stark knew this or not, Bucky wasn't too sure, nor did he feel like pointing it out. He'd rather just pretend that stage of his life hadn't happened. At all. It wasn't a good coping method, in fact, Bucky was pretty damn sure that such a thing was going to come back and bite him.

But it worked for now, and seeing as he was taking life one day at a time, then it was completely acceptable.

Harry's thin, soft fingers wove themselves between the metal digits of his left hand and Bucky looked down at the twining duo. The contrast of supple pink flesh against unyielding, shining alloy. His thumb brushed against the back of her knuckles, the sensors registering the texture of her skin, the slight warmth that it gave off, regardless of the winter chill and her distinct lack of gloves.

"Where now?"

Harry rocked back on her heels, pursing her lips and then grinning wildly.

"I'm thinking somewhere warm."

.

 _Kilauea, Hawaii  
January 14th 2015_

"Never seen a Volcano up close before, doll."

Stood back, with arms folded and eyes focused on the lava that was pooling out of the earth, slowly crawling across the rocky surface of the island, Bucky let out a low whistle.

They'd been island hopping for a while now, but this was the first time they'd decided to come and get an up close look at a natural disaster. Beside him, Harry was watching, just as intrigued and focused, eyes round in a way she too had never been so close to such an exciting sight.

There was something therapeutic about watching lava slowly cascade down in little rivulets. Hell, it smelt awful. Were it not for the warning that all other senses besides sight offered, then Bucky was pretty damn sure more than a handful of kids would have stuck their hand right in the pretty red stuff.

He was tempted, even though he knew for certain it'd melt right through the metal of his arm. While it'd been designed to stand up to some pretty intense stuff, he was sure lava wasn't one of those things.

Still, it was a pretty sight, all that bright red against the near blackness of the rock surface. It called out to the artist in him. No doubt Steve would have loved to capture the image on paper.

"Picture time?" Harry had already drawn her camera, cocking it in their direction with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Several tourists were already stood around them, so it wasn't like it was going to be a chore to flag one down.

Accepting the bulky camera from Harry's hands, Bucky made his way over to a pair of girls, perhaps just out of their schooling years. It was always easier for him to get something simple like this from girls. A quick flirty smile, a line right out of the forties, and they'd be putty in his hands.

Really, he had no idea what mother's were teaching their sons these days, but it clearly wasn't anything resembling manners. Otherwise the ladies would have a bit more resistance too it.

"Excuse me, can I steal a moment of you time? We'd like a photo," Bucky gestured helplessly over towards Harry and then back to the camera, watching as the two girls shared a look before slyly nodding.

Okay, so he knew he was attractive, such a thing wasn't his fault.

Handing the camera over, Bucky danced across the rocks towards Harry, throwing one arm around her shoulder and grinned as the teenager fumbled with the bulky camera. If it weren't for the fact it spat out moving pictures, then he'd have already insisted Harry get one of the better, smaller ones.

Moving pictures were so wonderful though.

The flash that signalled the job was done burned the back of his retinas, and blinking, Bucky stumbled forwards to accept the camera again. He wasn't expecting the words that came out of the teenager's mouth.

"Can we get a photo with you?"

Both he and Harry paused, sharing a confused look as the blonde teen blushed, stammering on.

"It's just, you're Bucky Barnes, right? We read all the SHIELD files on the internet, we're so glad you escaped by the way. You're a hero, you know that right?"

Something caught in his throat, and Bucky could only managed to give the freckled girl a nod, her dark haired friend nodding along.

"He'd be happy to get a picture with you. As long as we can take one on our camera too," Harry chirped from beside him, sending him a look. One that couldn't be interoperated in any other way than an order for him to go along with what was happening.

With a detached form of shock, Bucky found himself stood between the two girls, Harry holding a thin, mechanical box -one of their phone's, he realized- between her fingers and grinning.

"Smile people."

Instead, Bucky wrapped his arms around the two teens shoulders, offering a flash of teeth as Harry took three photos, one for each girl on their phones and one on her magical camera.

"Can we get a kiss?"

The freckled blonde was blushing furiously, but he had to give her credit for her guts.

Obliging, Bucky planted a light kiss on both girl's cheeks, offering them a wink as he went back over to stand with Harry. Harry, who'd made two copies of their moving photos and offered them to the girls, souvenirs no doubt.

The two teens were squealing so loud that Bucky wouldn't be surprised if they didn't notice Harry apperating them away.

But huh, that'd been an interesting encounter.

* * *

 **I did want to have 10,000 words wrote for this next chapter, but now that I'm writing the next little sction, it seems like that'd fit in more with the next chapter, so, here we are.**

 **Tsume**

 **xxx**


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